‘The Public Eye’, are an upcoming indie band from the depths of Derby, England. They consist of four members, aged 18-19, but began producing music at only 16-17, in what is known as the infamous ‘out building’. They soon gained local recognition with their first single ‘Twister’ in 2022, but their music and sound have grown beyond the conventional ‘indie’ towards a more post-punk style, and out of Derbyshire.
All four members grew up in Derby, which inspires their distinctive sound. Their single ‘Broken Politicians’ illustrates the problems of local politics and the way it impacts local communities. In speaking to lead guitarist Jonah Radford, he explained that Derby used to be booming with culture and nightlife, generally just a great place to be, however, it has moved away from that recently. He said, ‘We just want to put it back on the map.’
Their most recent single ‘This Place Is A Soap Opera’ follows on from their shift in sound to a more contemporary, quirky and intimate sound, distinctively different from the classic indie they approached with their first few singles and EP. The band says their new sound is inspired by ‘Seeing bands who inspire us, alongside having something to talk about, regarding everything that’s happening around us, politically, socially. It’s all fucked really.’
The Public Eye have only just been born into the music world, with a very promising future ahead of them. Since their first single in 2022, they have already released 8 singles and an EP; Headlined classic derby venues such as The Hairy Dog and The Blessington Carriage and even headlined the BBC introducing stage at Derbyshires' huge YNOT? Festival. The band says that ‘we hope to connect with people we don’t know and grow a crowd who have genuine care for the same things we do.’
I have seen these guys live, they are going places . . . Total vibe